A Midsummer Night's Scheme
by Al Kristopher
Summary: After so many failures, Jessie and James are FINALLY fired from Team Rocket! With nobody else to turn to, they join up with Ash and his crew! But will they be able to stop their successors, Marion and Morrison, while searching for the Pokemon Master?
1. The Boot

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A Midsummer Night's Scheme:

A Comedy in Five Acts

By Al Kristopher

Act I

"The Boot"

"Busted". The word meant so many things to so many people. To the diabolical duo of narcissists, Jessie and James, being Busted meant that their esteemed boss had quickly learned of their failures (most likely from that traitorous Meowth) and was just a little too eager to tell them about it in no kind terms. They had been--what was the word again?--"busted" several times before, usually sometime after returning to home base empty-handed, but the feeling never lost its sting.

However, that last mission they had been sent on felt like a special failure. Not only had Pikachu evaded their grasp, again, but they had utterly failed to even take _note_ of the Articuno that resided in those frozen lands. They had suffered a special blow that time, and they were both miserably sure that their boss would be most unhappy indeed when he learned of their loss. Giovanni usually was a tough man to please, but Jessie and James were among the worst in the business. Team Rocket, considered Giovanni after much thought, could do better without them. And so, he came to a conclusion.

"You wanted to see us, boss?" asked James. He and his cohort had just recently been summoned into Giovanni's office, wherein their esteemed and fearless leader waited for them with his chair turned around. Giovanni wheeled his seat around as his subordinates came into the room, smoking a cigar and glancing at them carefully. The Persian he kept was nestled snugly in his lap, and he stroked it every so often to soothe his short nerves. For awhile, silence was the only thing that answered James.

"James William Wyatt…" muttered Giovanni, "and Jessica Bonney Earp… Two of Team Rocket's most infamous agents… Please, do not sit down. This meeting will not take long." Both Jessie and James gulped down their worries, and each thought the exact same thing:

_I don't like the way the boss said that._

"W-what is it you called us for, boss?" asked Jessie. "What can, as you put it so well, Team Rocket's most infamous agents do for you?"

"You can start by explaining what happened in that last mission of yours."

"Uhh… last… mission, sir?" said James carefully.

"The one where you went to the Frozen Lands," reminded Giovanni in an impatient voice. "You know… the one where you _almost_ captured Pikachu and stopped those children?"

"Uh, oh, right! _That_ mission!"

"Yes, that one," hissed Giovanni. "Did the two of you know that there were reports of an Articuno around that area? Hmm? Did the two of you ever consult your Pokemon Guides? Or did you ever consider reading up on the news in that area? Hmm?"

"An Articuno?" mimed Jessie. "But, boss! We… we never heard of such a thing!"

"Which is _exactly_ my point," stated Giovanni, poking at the air with his cigar. "The two of you are the most worthless, imbecilic, moronic, useless, shameful trash that this establishment has _ever_ had the sickening duty of harboring! Mr. Wyatt, Ms. Earp, I find that your lack of wisdom in the Articuno mission is just a small sample of how utterly incompetent the two of you are!!"

"But sir!" they protested. Giovanni's growl was enough to shut them both up.

"Silence!! The fact is that the two of you have completely failed almost absolutely every single mission that you have ever been sent on! Give me one example of when you succeeded in _anything_ you set out to do!"

A pause. By this time, the duo was pretty much--yup, you guessed it--_busted._

"Well, there was this one time when Jessie and I were able to capture a few Pidgeottos…"

"That is _pitiful_, Mr. Wyatt!!" spat Giovanni suddenly. "Are you saying that you can find success in a task that a three year-old novice Pokemon trainer can accomplish?! That miserable excuse is ground enough for me to expel the both of you from Team Rocket FOREVER!!!!

"_Boss, NO!!!_" Jessie and James both screamed out in horror, their hair standing out on end as the terrifying thought of being fired from Team Rocket cackled at them. Their bodies both went into horrific shock--their faces turned all kinds of ghastly colors--and they desperately pleaded for another chance.

"Boss, please, give us one last chance!" begged Jessie. "I beg of you! We can accomplish whatever you send us out on, I swear it! Please, we'll make you see that we're not as bad as you say we are!"

"_Enough_!" he shouted, slamming his fist on his desk so hard that it broke and the Persian screamed away. "As I recall, I have given both of you a _hundred_ of these 'second chances', and each one was completely botched by the both of you! It was only by the influence of your parents that either one of you were able to stay on as long as you did, but no more!"

"Boss, please!!" wailed James, who was literally on his knees by this point. "Please, don't take us away from Team Rocket! I _swear_ that we will rise above your every expectation in the next--"

"There will _BE_ no next time!!!" roared Giovanni in a deadly rage. "I am sick and tired of wasting company money on hiring you buffoons to fail!! I have had enough of you, both of you! Therefore, I come to the conclusion that the of you and your service to Team Rocket shall be _terminated!_"

"NOOOOOO!!!!"

"Boss, please! Don't kill us! Please, I beg of you!"

"SILENCE!!!" screamed the boss, sending Jessie and James scampering like mice. He calmed down, just a little, and resumed speaking to them in a more suitable manner. "I will not be called a killer of men, no matter _how_ much of a reject the two of you are! As tempted as I am to slay you both, I will extend whatever mercy I have left within me and exile you from Team Rocket, once and for all, forever more."

"Boss, you can't mean--" stuttered Jessie.

"Yes, I can!!" he shouted as he stood to his feet. Giovanni pointed his finger at them, and bellowed out in his loudest voice, "James Wyatt, Jessica Earp… **_YOU'RE FIRED!!!_**"

"No…" Both Jessie and James whimpered in utter weakness as the horrible news was hammered into their foreheads. They could both feel their souls being sucked out of their body and sent down a drain, and the whole world became dark and morbid as they lost all ties and connections to Rocket. They gazed ahead emptily, their eyes glassed over in fear and amazement, and neither one moved very much.

"Now I want both of you out of my office and out of my sight immediately!" huffed Giovanni as he sat back down. "I shall have Colt and Derringer confiscate your uniforms and return your civilian garb to you. I expect you to clean out your lockers and remove your possessions from the building within the hour. Your Pokemon you may keep, however, as compensation for whatever work you might have done. Do you understand?"

Silence.

"Fired…" muttered James. "You really… fired us…"

"No more Team Rocket…" murmured Jessie. "No more… Team Rocket…"

"No more… no more…"

"Are you two paying any attention to me at all?!" growled their boss. Jessie and James were catatonic by that time, and it took a second growl and a Kangaskhan to completely remove them from the office. Quietly, Jessie and James sat on chairs just outside the office, where the large Pokemon had placed them, and continued to stare into oblivion until Colt and Derringer arrived. The two older men glanced at each other as they came upon the stunned duo, and sighed as they realized what happened.

"The boss canned you, eh?"

"Canned…" muttered James. "Gone… poof… No more… no more…"

"We've been fired…" murmured Jessie. "No more… Rocket… Power…"

"Well that's a darn shame," noted Colt as he helped James stand. "A darn shame. Hey, Jimbo, you mind extendin' yer arms out like this? Boss called us to strip you of your uniforms, n' return'em to the main office, so we's aimin' to do our job. Nothin' personal, dude, just business." James quietly performed as he was asked, extending his arms so Colt could remove his uniform. Derringer took off Jessie's Team Rocket Jacket and put it in a box, and then later stuffed in her boots, gloves, earrings, badges, cards, and anything else she was carrying that belonged to the Team. When both older men were finished stripping rank on the duo, all that was left were their Pokeballs, a pair of boxers for both and a white t-shirt.

"Looks like that's all," said Derringer as he saluted his old friends. "Well, this place'll get less interestin' without the two of you around to spice things up, but… what the boss says is what the boss says. Personally, I like you both--"

"And me too," added Colt. Derringer nodded his head.

"…But business is business. You all need help findin' yer locker?"

"No…" murmured Jessie, who was still in a daze. "We'll… manage…"

"You sure?"

"…Yeah…"

"Okay," he shrugged. "Well… I guess… this is goodbye, then." Colt and Derringer took the uniforms and accessories with them as they left, leaving Jessie and James to stand in the middle of Team Rocket headquarters with only their underclothes on. Slowly, like people who had lost their souls, the two former Rocket members trudged over to their lockers, earning a few stares from other employees as they ambled on. They only succeeded in making themselves look even more foolish, what with only the necessities on and a dead look in their eyes, but finally they reached their lockers, and opened them up for the very last time.

Mechanically, they began removing everything they owned from the containers--everything they ever owned, their own entire past, straight from the small metallic storage area. Their whole life piled up in bags, or else on their bodies after they dressed in civilian style. All the time, their faces continued to express nothing but hollow emotions. They were both petrified, stunned at the loss, and were only able to move because of their boss' last order to them: _I expect you to clean out your lockers and remove your possessions from the building within the hour._ Within the hour--that did not give them much time.

Eventually, though gradually, Jessie and James packed up their entire lives in bags and suitcases, and glanced around the rooms and halls of the Team Rocket base for one last time. They both believed that, no matter how horrible their job performance was, they would never have to say goodbye to those walls, or those rooms, or the people they passed every day. Jessie never thought that she would be unable to hold her head up proudly in those halls; James thought that he would be his own King forever. But now, they both had to leave Team Rocket behind, and they would never be inside its walls ever again.

"James…" James turned to his comrade and looked deep into her indigo eyes, wondering what she wanted to say. Jessie swallowed something down and sighed out her worries. "What do you think will happen to us now?" For awhile, the green-eyed man could give her no answer.

"I don't know… But, we'll manage. We've done well in difficult times before. I think we're going to be all right…… for a little while."

"That's not the truth, and you know it," she said gently. "James… Team Rocket was our entire life! We were practically born into it! Your parents and my parents were a part of it! The boss said so himself! James, what are we going to do, seriously!? It'll be like… like… like us going into foreign territory! Only it'll be for real!"

"…I know," he mumbled. "It's not going to be easy… but, I believe we can do it. I have faith that we can. Come on, let's get Meowth and leave here."

"I'd rather not," snarled Jessie darkly. "I'll bet you a bar of gold that that little cat was more of a rat! Who do you think told the boss of our failures? It sure wasn't you or me, and the other agents couldn't have known!"

"You do have a point," he agreed, nodding his head slowly. "That Meowth is nothing but a nasty little traitor, always taking the glory and bossing us around! Well no more! I hope he's happy with his new associates, because we're out of here! YOU HEAR THAT, TEAM ROCKET??!!" he screamed suddenly, jerking around to shout at the whole building. "YOU CAN'T FIRE US, BECAUSE WE _QUIT_! WE WERE NEVER APPRECIATED ANYWAY, SO GOODBYE!!!" And with a _humph_ and a snarl, James turned his back on the building and went straight for the door, with Jessie staring at him for awhile.

…And everyone else in the vicinity as well. James had been quite loud, and a little overdramatic, and had drawn attention to himself from every direction. But that was okay, he considered. He was leaving, after all, and there wasn't anything that anybody could do. Jessie, however, didn't know that he had it in him.

"Wait up!" she shouted, and with a proud half-smile on her face, she ran after the only friend she seemed to have left in the world. Team Rocket would never be the same without them.

----------

Giovanni's office was dark once again, filling up with the pleasant aroma of cigar smoke and lack of light from the outside world. Eventually, a pair of blinds let in rays of light, but not enough to bathe the whole room. An orange glow lit the tip of the big boss' cigar; he inhaled and exhaled the smoke slowly as he examined the two new guests in his room. Carefully, using the light he had just poured in, Giovanni looked over their records.

"Marion Jane Burke, alias 'The Death Hunter'. Former assassin for Mikhail Van Stratos, specializing in close-range combat, murder, major theft, arson, et cetera. Confirmed kills, sixty-five; probable kills, forty-eight. Weapon of choice, razor gauntlets. Vicious, merciless, barbaric, sadistic, uncontrollable… I'd say you're good for the job."

"Thank you, Giovanni," said a husky female voice from the shadows. Giovanni smiled and read over the next file.

"Morrison Hickock Glidden, alias 'Overbite'. Freelance assassin, bodyguard, hitman, killer, and so on. Never failed in a mission, always killed his prey, never left any evidence behind. Trademark moves include biting off his victim's fingers, toes, ears, and… any other body part that protrudes out visibly?" Giovanni snorted, and looked over at the shadowed man in disbelief. "'Biting any body part that protrudes out visibly'?"

"Yes, sir," replied the man in a very deep, lion-like voice. "Biting. Oftentimes when they're alive, sir. Does that prove a problem, sir?"

"…No," said Giovanni with a chuckle, "no problem at all. You sound perfect for the job!"

"Thank you, sir." Giovanni smiled again, and closed the blinds once again.

"Marion and Morrison… I don't expect either one of you to fail like your predecessors. In fact, I would stake my very career that the two of you will not only succeed, but you will exceed even my highest expectations. You two are the best mercenaries and assassins that money can buy, so I know you will get the job done. Welcome to Team Rocket."

"Thanks, old man," replied the husky voice of Marion. Giovanni let out a huff and a puff--of smoke, that is.

"You two shall report directly to me from this day forward. You will even be assigned your own Pokemon--your choice, of course." The woman in the dark room laughed darkly, but it sounded more like the gagging of one being hung from the gallows.

"I don't _need_ a Pokemon, old man," she chuckled. "I like to kill on my own, thank you."

"I insist," replied Giovanni, ignoring her insubordinate remark. He had hired these two to replace and exceed Jessie and James, and to perform with perfection, not to address him with respect. The woman, Marion, let out a snort.

"Well, okay. I guess I can deal with a free Pokemon--but get me the fiercest one you have. I don't want anything that's weak."

"Understood," replied the big boss. "And you, Morrison?"

"Just give me an Onyx and I'll be all right, sir," grumbled the man called Morrison. Giovanni agreed to the simple terms, and paged his secretary to locate an Onyx and a Tauros for his new employees.

"Your basic mission will be to capture as many Pokemon as you can," he continued briskly. "You will be given the necessary supplies, plus anything else you require. But first of all, I'd like to see what the two of you are really made of. To test your skills, I'm going to send you both on a mission so dangerous that only our top agents come close to qualifying. This task I have in mind would have certainly destroyed your weak predecessors, but for people such as yourselves, it shouldn't be but an easy job."

"What is it you want us to do, sir?" asked Morrison. Giovanni paused briefly before informing them on their first real job as new members of Team Rocket.

"I want you to find the Legendary Pokemon Master," he said, "and bring him here to me."


	2. Keeping Friends Close and Enemies Closer

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Act II

"Keeping Friends Close and Enemies Closer"

Together, Jessie and James set out in the world to experience life without Team Rocket for the first time ever. They wandered away from the base on foot, already weary and exhausted--but more so than their physical condition was their internal condition, the feeling of rejection and failure that was chewing away at their souls. Sure, they had experienced loss hundreds of times before, oftentimes several times on the same day, but they never thought that they would be _fired_…

Fired! From Team Rocket! That would be like asking them to stop breathing! Rocket had been their life, their purpose, their reason for living, and now that such an honor had been pulled out from underneath their feet, what was there left to hope for? They had nothing now--nothing, except for what they could scrounge up, a few supplies, their clothes, and just enough money to live on for a week or two. Other than that, they were on their own, and in a world that saw them as either a villain, a nuisance, or a strange pair of hopeless individuals.

At least things couldn't get any worse, or so they thought…

-----

Hot on the trail of the Legendary Pokemon master were two expert assassins, each one as deadly as the other and each one loyal to those with enough money to throw around. One was a tall blonde woman, with eyes of chilling blue, and a small but nasty scar running across her face. She wore a pure-white cloak that never seemed to have any blood on it, and a tight blue uniform underneath that showed off her svelte body. Her companion was a male, one who made even tall men seem dwarfish. Aside from his size, he didn't look deadly at all, but there was a lethal mystique around him that had put him in the ranks of the world's deadliest killers.

Together, the man and the woman--Marion and Morrison--trekked through the jungle as they made their way to a nearby town, and from there, they would take a boat to the continent where the Legendary Pokemon Master lived. It would be simple, it would be quick, and nobody else would know about it--nobody at all.

-----

"This will have to do until we can find a good place to lodge," said James as he set up a tent. Night had fallen quicker than either of them thought--they had been walking aimlessly for the whole day--and while they had the means to survive in the wilderness, they both wanted to find a more permanent (and safe) place to live. Jessie, who could understand the situation well, silently agreed and helped her partner set the tent up. It was small, barely big enough to fit both of them, and it was one of the last remaining memories of their former past. In a rage, James had previously ripped off the Team Rocket logo and threw it in the campfire, but even he was beginning to miss his old life.

Once the tent was up and the rations were eaten, Jessie and James retired for the night and crawled into the tent. They were not accustomed to sleeping together like this, though they had done it on several occasions, but this time it seemed okay to share the same bed. As James turned the lamp off, he let out a weary, troubled sigh, and tried to forget about his worries as he laid there. Quietly, from out of the darkness, Jessie shuffled over to him and cuddled up next to him. There was no romance in the gesture at all--she was frightened, perhaps the first time in a very long while.

"Oh, James…" she whispered fearfully, "what are we going to do now? Without Team Rocket supporting us, I don't know what we're going to do!"

"I'll think of something later," he said, touching her bare hand. He didn't like to see Jessie this way--she was better when she was confident, in control, brash, and just slightly on the indestructible side--and in order to keep her sane, he would do whatever it took, including comforting her like she was a toddler again.

"But… what _can_ we do?" she asked. "What _can_ we do, James? Team Rocket was the only one who took us in, and even then! I don't know what else I'm good at! James, are you good at anything?"

"…We could always get by in a fast food place," he suggested. Jessie screamed at him, but her anger soon turned to despair.

"Oooooohhhhhhh, I don't _WANT_ to be flipping burgers forever! I don't even want to do it for a month! I _can't_ end up wasting my life in a dead-end job that has no glory! James, how could you think of something like that??!"

"Don't jump to conclusions, my dear! I was only joking!" he replied. James' excuse calmed Jessie down a little, and a more somber sigh emitted out of her mouth as she slumped her head down in defeat. Gently, she could hear his heart beating, and she knew that he was just as uncertain and frightened as she was. That made her feel just a little bit better.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do," she said softly as she wrapped herself around him. He held her close, himself unafraid to admit his fear, and tried his best to comfort her.

"We'll manage for awhile," he guaranteed. "I have enough money, food, and supplies to last us for a long time if we manage ourselves smartly."

"And then what?" A pause.

"……I… don't know…" James sighed sadly, and decided that, since there was nothing more he could do at the moment, it would be a good time to rest his head and sleep. Gradually, over the course of many restless minutes, an idea formed in his head. Granted, it was a million-to-one shot, and Jessie would object without a thought, and he doubted his own wisdom… But, it was better than nothing, and he knew just when to swallow his pride.

"I think I have an idea," he announced gently. Jessie looked up at him with heartbreaking puppy-dog eyes of sorrow and fiery hope.

"What?"

"…I'll tell you in the morning," he replied. "For now, let's just sleep, and hope that it works." A pause. Jessie allowed him to have his secrets for the time, shrugged, and snuggled up close, giving his cheek a gentle kiss before falling asleep.

"Okay. Good night, James."

-----

Night was of little consequence to the two assassins who mercilessly scoured the world for any more information on the Legendary Pokemon Master. He was not in his reported hometown, and although the gruesome twosome badly wanted to torch the place, their orders from Giovanni explicitly denied them such pleasures. Both Marion and Morrison were displeased with the arrangement… but the cash reward for a job well done made up for any inconveniences.

Besides, there was never a rule forbidding any form of torture or interrogation…

"We know that this was the village where the Legendary Pokemon Master used to live," grumbled Morrison in his deep bass voice. He was holding up one of the locals by their foot, letting the rest of their body dangle upside-down as he bored his dark eyes into him.

"You had better tell us everything we want to know," hissed Marion as she faintly scratched the throat of another villager with her clawed gauntlets. "Unless, of course, you would like to have an extra place to breathe out of. And I don't think your friend over there likes being hung upside down."

"I… I can be reasonable!" stammered the poor man she was threatening. Marion smiled at him like a hyena smiling at its prey, and leered at the man as her icy eyes burned.

"Yes… I _know_ you can… Now, tell us everything we need to know."

"Y-yes! O-of course!"

-----

James' eyes suddenly flew open from a deep and depressing sleep. With the ghosts of the nightmare still haunting him, and the beads of sweat still clinging to his brow, he drew in several deep breaths and tried to reason with himself. Jessie, who had tossed away from his body during the night, was snoring and drooling, and muttering something about roast beef sandwiches and wrenches. James took in a deep breath, and tried to convince himself that all he had seen was just an illusion.

It was eight o'clock in the morning, and James was beginning to forget what it was like to be a part of Team Rocket. Slowly, quietly, gingerly, he slithered out of his bed and stretched out fully, extending his limbs and groaning his sleepiness away. He scratched his back and arms, yawned, and stepped outside to make sure that his dream had been _just_ a dream. With a flair, he pointed his finger at a nearby tree, and declared the Team Rocket motto.

"Prepare for double, and make it trouble!" he exclaimed. "To protect the world within our nation! To unite all people from devastation! …No, wait, that's not it. …Prepare for nation, and make it devastation! To unite all people in truth and love! …No, wait… To protect the world from the stars above, to denounce the evils of the stars above…… NO!!

"Prepare for Jessie and make it James! …No! To unite all people with devastation, to denounce the evils of trouble and double! …NO!! To unite all people with the speed of light, get ready for truth and get ready to fight! …NO! To love all people within our nation, to prepare for double and make it trouble! …NO!!!!

"Prepare for truth and make it love! To extend our reaches to Jessie above! No!! Team Rocket--blast off at the speed of trouble! Surrender now or make it double! NO! Prepare for the stars and make it love! No! To denounce all people with stars and James! NO! To renounce fishes and make it a rake in Buckingham palace! No, no, no!!!"

"James!!!" A frantic James whirled around, seeing Jessie standing just outside the tent with an inquisitive and angry look on her face. A comb was in one hand, and a sock in the other. "What do you think you're _doing?!_"

"…To protect the world from truth and love, to denounce the evils of the stars above……… Oh, Jessie, _I can't remember our motto!!! Aaaaauuuuuggh!!!_" Poor James burst out into tears, literally soaking the ground as he bawled unnecessarily. Jessie looked at him like he had just turned into a love-struck Snorlax, and her eye twitched so much that it could have fallen off.

"You can't… remember… our motto?" she managed. James continued crying, but Jessie (who had been rather afraid herself the other night) found the confidence she had been lacking and snapped him out of it with a well-timed slap.

__

KA-POW!

"Snap out if it, James William Wyatt! You're a man! Take it like a man, man!"

"But I can't!" he wailed. "I can't remember the motto! And if I can't remember something as simple as our old Team Rocket motto…"

"But you said yourself that we're no longer part of Team Rocket!!" she screamed as she throttled him. As his head was being snapped around like a rattle, poor James tried to reason with the enraged woman.

"Who was I kidding?! You were right, Jessie--we can't exist without it! Let's face it, we're both doomed! _And I can't remember the stupid motto!! Waaaaaaaaahhh!!!_"

"SNAP out of it!" she screamed as she slapped him again. With a second hand-mark on his face, James slowly calmed down, breathed deeply, and found his sanity.

"You're right, Jessie," he panted. "You're right. I'm being such a sissy about it. I should… take it like a man, and not cry over spilled milk. You're right! We're not a part of Team Rocket anymore! Team Rocket can kiss our dirty smelly feet, right between the toes!" James grinned after denouncing his former employer, and stood up straight once again. He clenched a defiant fist, and smiled so brilliantly that one would think his face was the sun.

"I feel so alive and free!" he screamed.

"Ssh!" Jessie silenced her bizarre partner, covering his mouth with her hands as she began to hear noises. She quietly whispered to her companion that she thought she had heard somebody walking around the bushes, and there seemed to be more than one person with them. James tensed and pricked his ears up to hear better. He steeled his resolve, and tickled the tip of his Pokeball with his fingers as he waited for the disturbance to show itself.

And as fate would have it, the disturbance came in the trio of Ash, Misty, and Brock.

"What the--"

"It's them again!!"

Five old enemies leaped back and stared at each other, both sides haven been taken completely by surprise by the sudden encounter. Ash, Misty, and Brock glared at Jessie and James as if there was going to be another struggle, and meanwhile, the dastardly duo stared at the heroic trio, waiting for something to happen.

And like an old spaghetti Western, the two sides stared each other down until James could almost see the tumbleweeds rolling by. He finally swallowed, and to the disturbing shock of his partner, he greeted the three friends with a chipper smile.

"Why hello there!" he squealed. "Well, fancy meeting you all here! Say, isn't this a lovely day?!" In response, poor Jessie fell to the floor from the overwhelming shock, and the three younger ones merely growled.

"Grr… Team Rocket… Just ignore them," muttered Brock. "They're probably up to no good again…" Pikachu agreed, in so many words, and the trio managed to move forward.

"W-wait!" exclaimed James. "Don't leave, not just yet! We're not with Team Rocket anymore!"

"…Huh?"

"That's right, they fired us!" he exclaimed again. "Yes, yes, fired us they did! We got canned, you see! Rejected! Thrown out! Terminated! Liquidated! Erased from their roster! Our lockers are cleared, our passes are taken, and our uniforms were stripped right from our bodies!"

"So… are you two saying what I think you're saying?" pointed Ash doubtfully. James smiled and nodded his head; Jessie, on the other hand, gave him a sudden yank and pulled him in for a private conversation.

"(James, have you gone completely _bonkers?!_ Why are you talking to them?! This could be our big break! If we can capture Pikachu and give him to the boss, then we'll have our jobs back! Go on, let's get him!)"

"(Jessie, don't be absurd!)" he hissed back at her. "(We're not a part of Team Rocket anymore! Even if we did capture Pikachu right now, we'd just be like two common criminals in their last desperate act! Besides, didn't you say that we weren't part of Team Rocket anymore? We don't care about Pikachu!)"

"(…We don't?)"

"(Of _course_ not! And say! I've just got a brilliant idea!)"

"(I think that if you're thinking what I think you're thinking about, then I think you'd better think differently!)"

"(I thought you would say that,)" he sighed, "(but really, Jessie! Is there any other way? Let's give it a shot! I mean, what do we have to lose?)"

A pause in the conversation meant that Jessie was actually considering his query.

"(…You have a point,)" she admitted. "(It sounds weird, but we don't have any other options. Do you think they'll…?)"

"(We can hope,)" he whispered. In a flash, Jessie and James were facing three very puzzled young people, both of them with watery smiles plastered on their faces and both of them looking absolutely ridiculous.

"We've been in a serious discussion, and we've come to a conclusion!" she proclaimed. "Because of our recent change of employment, we have suddenly become two very free individuals!"

"We now bear an intense grudge against the very company that hated us so much!" chimed in James. "In fact, we feel so much enmity towards them that I think a course of cold merciless revenge would be in order!"

"…Revenge?" parroted a bewildered Ash. Both Jessie and James nodded their heads.

"Yes! And since the three of you have _such_ experience battling the forces of Team Rocket…"

"I mean, we _did_ have a few skirmishes here and there…!"

"We figured that… well, why don't you three tag along with us?"

"So we can declare the truths of revenge and retribution to old stinky Team Rocket!"

"Tag along??" spat Brock. "With _you??!!_ HA! You've got to be _joking!!_"

"Joking we are not!" declared Jessie. "Why, who else would be better suited to accompany us into the belly of Team Rocket and strike a deafening blow?!"

"……Yup, they're both nuts," concluded Ash after a pause. Pikachu agreed, and the heroic trio continued to march on, through the forest. Jessie and James panicked, and rushed over to intercept them again. They were now on their knees, clasping their hands in classical begging position, and irresistible eyes of blue and green yearned to be trusted.

"PLEASE!!" they screamed. "PLEASE let us come with you!!"

"We don't have anywhere else to go and nobody else will take us in!" wailed Jessie.

"You three are the only other people we would even _consider_ trusting!" cried James.

"We can't survive on our own! We've been living in Team Rocket's care for too long!"

"_Please_, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease _PLEEEEEEEEEASE_ let us come with you!!"

"We'll be good!" promised Jessie. "We won't cause you any trouble or problems!"

"Honest!" swore James. "Scout's honor! PLEASE! We don't have anywhere to turn to!"

"SHUT… _UP!!!_" Misty screamed out loud, silencing both former Rockets superbly. She glared at them eyes burning and nostrils flaring, and let them both have a piece of her mind. "Do you two really expect us to believe all that hash? What kind of idiots do we think we are?"

"And don't answer that question!!" stated Brock. Misty gave him a very sour and bitter glare before continuing.

"…You two must be even stupider than we thought!" she said. "Do you think we're actually going to _let_ two members of Team Rocket come with us? I mean, you two are pretty much our sworn enemy! And now you say you wanna come along _with_ us?"

"We're telling the truth!" exclaimed Jessie. Misty turned her nose up at the older woman and gave her a haughty _humph!_ Ash, however, was slightly more reasonable.

"It's not as if we don't trust you. It's just that… we don't trust you!"

"But we're _serious_!!" exclaimed James. He stood up, and displayed his outfit to the trio like he was a fashion model. "Look, see? I don't have the Team Rocket logo anywhere on my body! When have you ever seen either one of us without the Team Rocket logo?"

Ash, Misty, and Brock couldn't answer.

"Exactly my point! So, therefore, we must not be a part of Team Rocket anymore, since we no longer have their logo!"

"Some excuse that is!" declared Brock. "You're probably just in disguise or something! Whatever your reason is, I don't think we should trust you! Come on, Ash, Misty! Let's leave these two clowns alone!" Ash and Misty agreed and continued walking, but they were stopped one more time by the tenacious twosome.

"Come on!" wailed Jessie. "Why won't you believe us?"

"Because you've always been sneaky and deceptive and lying in the past!"

"We'll grant you that, but this time it's different!" declared James frantically. "We really and truly did get booted out!"

"Yeah right! It's just a trick!" spat Brock again. By that time, Jessie and James were so desperate that--aside from stooping to a new low by asking an alliance with former enemies--they began to actually cry and beg as well.

"Oh, come on!" wailed the redhead. "We're on our knees begging for your mercy!"

"Please trust us this one time!" wailed the one with blue hair. "We might be liars and all that stuff but we would never lie about being fired from Team Rocket! I swear on my parents that this is the truth!"

"But don't you two always tell us that you're going to denouncethe_ evils_ of truth and love?" snapped Misty. Jessie and James flinched, but came back as smoothly as they possibly could, given the situation.

"Yes, but… we forsake all of that!"

"Yes, that's it! We forsake it all! Why, just a few minutes ago, Jim here forgot our very motto!"

"Huh?? How could you forget that motto?!" squealed Brock in disbelief. "You say it every darned time you run into us! I can't believe you'd forget something like that!"

"It must be because we were fired!" explained James. "Something must have happened that made us forget all of a sudden! Oh, please, can't we all just forgive and forget?!" Jessie nodded her head and gave her two cent's worth as well.

"We promise that we'll be noble and trustworthy friends from now on--if you'll _just take us with you!_"

"We're on our knees, begging for your mercy!" cried James. Both former Rockets literally were crying, and the performance was so convincing that even skeptical Brock had to wonder. Of course, with bizarre characters like these two, even their greatest performance had to be questioned.

"Gosh…" whispered Misty, "those tears look awfully real… Hey, do you think we should give them a chance?" Ash shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe they can have one chance, and then--"

"Oh, THANK YOU, young man!" exclaimed the duo suddenly as they hopped to their feet and pumped his hands. "We're ever so grateful! You don't know how much this means to us, really!"

"But, I--"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, kid!" assured Jessie with a bright smile. "We'll do good on our promise and more! In fact, if you want proof of our newfound alliance, we'll be happy to tell you about all the secrets of Team Rocket!"

"All the secrets of Team Rocket?!" spat the trio. "Wow! Now _that_ would be a real test of friendship!" James nodded his head and gave his "new friends" a classical wink.

"Of course, of course! All the secrets you could want! Just ask anything!" Ash, Misty, and Brock all looked at each other, forming a sort of triangle as they mentally asked each other whether or not their former enemies were really that trustworthy. They all shrugged, and considered that they had very little to lose. Besides, if it had been a charade all that time, then Pikachu would just blast them as always!

"All right, tell us a really big secret!" demanded Misty. "One that only a Rocket would know! And nothing stupid, like Mr. Mime's weight or how many Hitmonlees it takes to screw in a light bulb."

"The answer to both questions is 130," said James. The trio of friends nearly fell over from the non sequitur. "But seriously," he continued, "if you want to know a well-guarded secret, then we'll be glad to tell you the whereabouts of--get this now--the Legendary Pokemon Master."

"The Legendary Pokemon Master?!?!" Ash and his friends had a good reason for gawking so much. The Legendary Pokemon Master was the world's leading expert on any and all types of Pokemon, from the common Ratatta to the extremely rare Chansey. It was even rumored that the LPM (as some called him) had three Pokemon in his possession that were so rare, only he owned them. It was said that the man was one of the original researchers of Pokemon, and in his old age, he retired into a mysterious continent and remained a hermit. Nobody had seen him in thirty years, since he retired, but if anybody found him, then they would be able to find out anything about Pokemon.

And if Team Rocket caught hold of him…

"You really know where he is?!" exclaimed Misty. Jessie and James both smiled.

"Of course. The boss used to talk about him all the time. He said that it would be his ultimate goal to have the knowledge of the Pokemon Master on his side, but only the bravest and mightiest members of Team Rocket could hope to locate him."

"I'm sad to say that we were never selected to go after him," sighed James. "The boss spent lots of time and money just to find the location of this man, and we learned of this location after overhearing a private conversation."

"So you really know where he lives?!" repeated Misty. James tilted his head, and stuck his finger in his mouth as he thought.

"Well… nobody knows the _exact_ location… but we _could_ tell you the general area!"

"Then tell us!" insisted Brock as he grabbed the other man. "I promise that if you let us know, you can tag along and maybe even share our food!"

"Brock!" Misty brained the poor loveable guy, and gave her "new friends" a very sweet and very fake smile. "Eh hehehe! Excuse him, he's as thick as his name implies!"

"(I know what you mean,)" muttered Jessie. Fortunately, James heard not a word of it.

"Anyway," continued the chipper girl, "where does this guy live?"

"Well, the boss told us that he lives on a small continent called Mekah, which is quite some distance northeast of here--I think." Ash and Misty wrote the directions down, and a wounded Brock checked the map he had. On the large sheet of paper was written just about every location there was in the world, but Mekah was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, I don't see it on the atlas!" he exclaimed. James took a peek and pointed at the place that the continent would have been.

"Why do you think Team Rocket called it a 'secret continent', hmm? If it's not on the map, then the mapmaker wouldn't have known about it, obviously."

"Then how did your boss know?"

"We're not sure," shrugged Jessie. "All we know is what we overheard. So now that we've told you a closely-guarded Team Rocket secret, can we please accompany you? At least until you reach the master!!" Ash, Misty, and Brock pondered over the new turn of events, and huddled together to deliberate on the matter. Their muttered voices concerned the dastardly duo, who still had doubts about their former enemies. A few agonizing minutes later, the verdict seemed to have been reached.

"Okay," said Ash, "we'll let you come along."

"YES!!!"

"But if you try any funny stuff, then Pikachu zaps you!" And to prove his threat, the young boy held up his beloved friend, displaying the eager yellow creature to Jessie and James. They smiled weakly and waved at their former pursuit.

"It's a deal!" he said.

"No funny stuff!" she said.

"On the honor of the Wyatt family and the Earp family!" The two of them shook hands with Ash, then Misty, and finally Brock, and things seemed ready to get into action. A new destination was set, with new allies to lead the way--but little did any of them know, a few new enemies were also in the mix, and they were a lot closer to their trail than anybody could suspect. And to prove it, no sooner did the alliance form did two figures emerge from the trees above, scaring birds away into the sky and making imposing stances in the near distance.

"What the?! Who are you?!" demanded Ash as they landed. The two figures glowered wickedly, and decided to formally introduce themselves--putting a new spin on the weary old Team Rocket motto in the process as well.

"Prepare for danger!" hissed the female.

"And wrath from a stranger!" growled the male.

"To ignite the world in devastation!"

"To unite all chaos within all nations!"

"To proclaim all concepts of anarchy and hate!"

"To set the world for a Doomsday date!"

"Marion!!"

"Morrison!!"

"Team Rocket! Destroying everything within our path!"

"Surrender now or feel our wrath!!"

A pause.

"That's… not how the old motto goes…" murmured Jessie fearfully. The female, Marion, gave her a hyena's smile.

"We've improved it since you pathetic excuses for carrion left. How do you like it? I think it expresses the true terror that Team Rocket now strikes!"

"You mean that _you're_ part of Team Rocket?!" shrieked Ash. He gave his new allies a demanding stare, and scalded them with his accusations. "Hey! Is this some kind of trick?! You were setting us up for a trap, weren't you?"

"No, no! We have no idea who these people are!" insisted James. Marion and Morrison, the newest and most lethal members of Team Rocket, stepped forth and smiled wickedly at their new prey.

"Please believe us when we say that these two morons are worthless trash," grumbled Morrison. "It's true that they were fired, but I guess that doesn't matter now. Our employer asked us to eliminate anything in our way, and since the five of you are in our way…" Morrison grinned fully, but instead of a row of pearly white teeth, a row of steel chompers was greeting them instead!

"Oh my goodness!" shrieked Misty. "I'd hate to have your dental bills!"

"Please pay no mind to what you see," snarled the steel-toothed man. "I'm sorry, but you won't live long enough to make it a concern of yours." Marion quietly agreed.

"He may be polite, but he's very deadly. Of course, I'm no pushover either. So whaddya say, kids? Ya wanna die slowly, or painfully?"

"We're not doing either!" declared Ash with a mighty pointed finger. "Pikachu! Show them what you're made of!" Pikachu let out a shout, and although Jessie and James screamed out of old habit, the blast that came from the yellow creature was not meant for them. It snaked its way towards the two new enemies, but Morrison merely chuckled, showing off his steel incisors and everything.

"Onyx!" he shouted. "Please shield us!" From out of nowhere, a gigantic Onyx emerged and wrapped itself around Marion and its master, easily protecting them from the electric blast. Ash gasped in surprise; Morrison merely chuckled.

"You should know that electricity can't harm an Onyx!" declared the tall man. "But Onyx sure can dish it out! Onyx! Please shake them off their shoes!" The Onyx obeyed, ramming its huge head into the ground until a mighty earthquake shivered the quintet out of their shoes (as planned). Jessie and James, being used to so much abuse, stood up first and brought out their Pokemon.

"Let's see what these Rocket Rejects can really do!" she shouted. "Arbok, go!" From out of her Pokeball, the serpentine Arbok slithered out and literally snaked towards the Onyx. Marion, however, grinned maliciously, and sent forth a vicious Charizard to torch the snake. As Jessie screamed, Morrison frowned in thought, and inquired to his partner about the matter.

"What happened to the bull?"

"I grew tired of it," replied Mario as she swished her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Besides, I'm a pyromaniac. I just _love_ a Pokemon that can burn things." He smiled, and watched as Charizard and Onyx crawled and stomped towards the group. Misty and Brock screamed, but James stepped forth to save the day with his Wheezing.

"Wheezing! It's time to beat a hasty retreat! Smoke screen!" The Wheezing belched out in reply, and coughed up a screen of smoke worthy of a true escape artist. While the polluted fog clogged up the air, and Marion's and Morrison's lungs to boot, Jessie, James, Ash, Misty, and Brock made a run for it. They ran as fast and as far as they could, and did not look back for anything (of course, Jessie and James _did_ rescue their beloved Pokemon).

Once the smog cleared, the quintet was far ahead enough to be safe for some time. Upon seeing that their prey had evaded them, Marion let out a nasty word, and snarled as she called her Pokemon back in. Morrison silently summoned his back, and folded his muscular arms as he began to think. Marion sighed, shrugged, and decided to join her deadly partner.

"Oh well," she said. "It wasn't important. Unlike our incompetent predecessors, it wasn't our responsibility to capture that stupid Pikachu. We should worry about more important things."

"…Agreed."

"I think they said that the Pokemon Master lived on the continent of Mekah," she said, mostly to herself. Marion, who could be fierce one moment and fiercely calm the next, stood on top of a tree stump and allowed the wind to play with her hair and white robe. She could be a beautiful woman at times--deadly beauty, maybe--and she was more thoughtful than Professor Oak himself.

"The shark's appetite is not spoiled if they miss out on feasting on guppies," said Morrison suddenly. He joined his thoughtful partner, arms crossed, and nodded his head. "In fact, it is increased even more. There are bigger fish in this sea, Marion, and I think we should focus on them. Our weak predecessors have given us a trail of blood to follow; let us not pass up this delicious opportunity." Silently as always, the giant man lumbered off into the distance, leaving his partner behind a bit. She chuckled to herself, leaped off the stump, and braved into the northeast with the wind against her.


	3. Boundaries of Trust

__

Act III

"Boundaries of Trust"

It was a bright and sunny day outside, perfect for taking long, aimless walks across the countryside or even through the city. The sun was up, the sky was blue, it was beautiful, and feeling new! Yet all the beauty and splendor of the world couldn't deter the fact that a certain dastardly duo were still very much around and still very much annoying. Ash, Brock, and Misty had extended some of their mercy to their "former" enemies, Jessie and James, and had allowed the now-jobless duet to tag along as brief traveling companions. They had came in handy once, during the time when they had all escaped from the newest members of Team Rocket, but now that things had settled down and the chase grew cold, distrust and dissent reigned once again.

"I'm _so_ tired of all this walking!" moaned James as he slumped down. "Can't we take a break? My feet are killing me!"

"I can't remember what sitting down felt like!" groaned Jessie. "Can't go on, can't go on, can't go on!"

"Hey, pipe down back there!" shouted an annoyed Brock. "No complaining! Yeesh! I'd have thought that Team Rocket was specially trained to go on long hikes!"

"Apparently not," remarked Misty. She turned around, and gave her temporary companions an irritated glare. "Look, stop complaining! Ash and us go on long walks all the time!"

"Ugh, ever heard of an automobile?" mumbled a weary James.

"None of us are old enough to drive yet!" retorted the redhead.

"What about your Pokemon?" suggested Jessie. "Don't you ever ride on those?"

"Well, yeah, but… I mean, it's for emergencies only!"

"But this _is_ an emergency!" exclaimed James. "If Jessie and I don't take a rest soon, our feet are going to disintegrate! Please, just stop for a little while!" The three friends groaned, and looked at each other to determine the fate of their "friends". Ash shrugged, and felt that it would be best that all of them took a rest.

"I'm feeling a little weary myself," he said. "Yeah, we'd better stop for awhile. Jessie, James, I guess if you two are going to show us the way to the Legendary Pokemon Master, you're going to need all your strength."

"Oh, bless you, boy!" exclaimed the redheaded female as she shook Ash's hands. "You really are a great friend, and after all the trouble we caused you! I don't know how we could ever repay you!"

"Just don't betray us and we'll do fine!" spat Brock defensively. Misty intended to smack him for such a remark, but she could easily understand his distrust. Even Ash didn't believe Jessie and James, and he had been the one that allowed them to come with him. It was going to be a tough journey, however, and finding the Legendary Pokemon Master would be tough enough, so for the time being, they had to trust their former enemies.

Misty, who was the least-exhausted of the quintet, went to look for a stream so she could supply her friends with water. Being a pro at handling water and ice-type Pokemon didn't make it any easier for her to find a source, but her affinity did come in handy now and then. As she scoured the land for a stream, she began to question the current situation. She doubted Jessie and James, for the two had been anything but reliable in the past, even to their own employer. She could understand it if they had been fired--they weren't exactly Rocket's leading agents--but like her friend Brock, she didn't trust their motives.

"Ah, there's one!" she exclaimed suddenly. Misty found a small and slow stream of water, and dipped her bucket in. The new weight was a little much, but she was young and not exactly a powerhouse of strength. Misty would have to carry the water back and forth between the camp and the river in order to satisfy everybody's needs. The only distraction that she offered herself was a little hum of a song.

"Ah, thanks!" exclaimed Ash as she got back with the water. Their canteens were filled up first, and everybody got a good drink before the water was used on other things. Ash, Misty, and Brock had not been on the road for long, so they wouldn't need to wash their clothes for at least another day, but Jessie and James were another story. Misty directed them to the stream she had found, but Brock didn't even trust them to bathe.

"So what do you think we should do?" demanded Misty. "Go with them and make sure that they don't plan anything strange?" She got no response from Brock for awhile, but only because he genuinely considered the thought. "…Oh, wait! NOOOO, no-no! I'm not doing it! I am _not_ doing it!"

__

Ten minutes later…

"…How did I manage to get suckered into this?" groaned Misty as she shared a bath with Jessie. The older woman smiled brightly, and scrubbed her feet daintily as the river washed her cares away.

"Oh, don't be such a baby!" she smiled. "C'mon, it's fun! And the best way to take a bath is to sing! Belt it with me, baby!"

"No, don't sing!!!" screamed Misty, but it was too late. Jessie was already screaming out some form of unholy chaos, that sounded like a cross between nails on a chalkboard, a slaughterhouse for pigs, and a nursery full of screaming babies.

"Oh, give me a HOOOOOOOOOME, where the buffalo ROOOOAAAMMM!!!"

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!"

__

Elsewhere…

"And the SKIES are not CLOUDY all DAAAAAYY!! Sing it with me, boys! Home, home on the RAAAANGE! Where the deer and the antelope GRAAAAAZE!!!"

"Ahhh, stop it!" screamed Ash as he tried to deafen himself. "That's enough! I've had enough!"

"Stop singing!" begged Brock. "I can't take it anymore! STOP!!!"

"Where seldom is HEAAAARRRD, a discouraging WORRRRRD!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

---------------

"Did you hear something?" said Marion suddenly. Her ears had pricked up and caught a very distant sound, like somebody was screaming or dying or something.

"Like what?" asked her companion. She shrugged.

"I dunno. It sounds like all the souls of the netherworld are being released. Not all the Ghost Pokemon in the world could make that much terrible noise."

"What could it be?" Marion stared into the distance, her icy-blue eyes glazed over, and the wind played with her blonde hair as she spoke.

"I dunno… but it doesn't involve us. If it's somebody in pain, oh well. Our job is to find the stupid Pokemon master. Now what did those former Rocket morons blurt out the other day?"

"The Legendary Pokemon master is supposed to be living on a small, uninhabited continent that's roughly due northeast--or at least that's what I think they said." Marion nodded her head, and stood up from her resting spot so they could continue their journey.

"Well, then I guess we'd better leave, then. That crazy old coot isn't going to come with us. Lead on, since it seems you know the way." Morrison nodded his head, and lumbered off ahead of Marion as the two most lethal members of Team Rocket continued their search.

----------

Barely, just barely, Ash and Brock managed to crawl out of the river and cling onto the surface. They moaned in pain and horror, having both gone through a singing session more terrible than they could have imagined. James, on the other hand, was smiling brightly as he dried and dressed himself.

"Finally… we… made it!" groaned Ash.

"Just barely!" coughed Brock. "I thought my ears were gonna explode! That was the worst sound in the whole world! I'd rather have a pencil shoved in my skull than listen to that again!"

"Oh, cheer up, fellows!" smiled James brightly. "Now that we're all squeaky clean, what say we go find us a Pokemon master?"

"My ears need to stop ringing first," moaned poor Ash. He managed to crawl over to where he had placed his towel, and his Pigeotto used a small Gust to dry him. Brock took in a big relieved breath, and dressed so that he would be presentable when the girls showed up. James, on the other hand, was a little too chipper for his own good, but if one thought about it, they would understand why.

Along with his "lovely" cohort, James had been eliminated from the only home he had ever known, and a rather strict one at that. His entire history had been taken out from his feet, forcing him to stake out a survival in the "real world". At first he was cocky and arrogant, but soon even his spirit left him, and he began to grow desperate. In a weird twist of fate, the duo chanced upon their enemies, and though a fight seemed inevitable at first, Jessie and James "somehow" managed to convince Ash and the others to let them tag along.

James was overjoyed for a reason, that reason being that he was finally beginning to feel like he belonged somewhere. He could see the same feeling in Jessie's eyes: that somebody had accepted them, albeit with great reluctance, and that they had a purpose once again. To be called useless and trash was hurtful, especially to their pride, and to be of any help, even former enemies, was the greatest feeling that either former Rocket could ever experience.

It was true that the relationship Jessie had with her former enemies was flawed at best, and at the worst, bitter and savage. Her pride was her biggest hubris, but even she was willing to scrape her knees on the ground and beg for absolute mercy. She saw herself as fierce and independent, but even she could be afraid and uncertain. Her first night away from Team Rocket's safe quarters proved that she had a softer, more vulnerable side (no matter how temporary it was), and the show she put on proved that she could sacrifice her greatest strength for more immediate and important matters.

She _knew_ that Misty distrusted and detested her, but as long as she was willing to have her around, Jessie didn't care if Misty was a murderer. Jessie needed to belong somewhere, whether in the Team Rocket organization or with the only people she would ever consider friends. It didn't matter that these same "friends" were suspicious of her actions--just as long as she had a place to belong to, it really didn't matter.

Relaxing in the sun, she let out a sigh and contemplated where they would all go after that. She had overheard just as much as her partner, and had a vague idea as to where this Pokemon Master was, but other than what she had heard, she knew nothing. All the Pokemon books, indexes, and guides in the world would not offer much more concerning the old master, and unless they went somewhere like an old research building (which would have information about the first batch of Pokemon researchers), they would have to play everything by ear.

"Ahhh… what a day…" she sighed to herself. Misty, who had dressed completely, looked down at her adversary in slight bemusement.

"What do you mean? Hey, aren't you rested up enough? Isn't it about time we moved on?"

"Mm, be quiet, girl," sighed Jessie as she waved her hand at the younger girl. "There's no reason to hurry. Nobody knows where exactly the Pokemon master lives, so we might as well take our time."

"But what about those other people?! Aren't they after us?"

"No, they're after the same thing we are," she murmured lazily. "But I wouldn't worry about them. They probably know as much as we do."

"But if your boss told them to--"

"_Former_ boss, dear."

"Whatever! If your old boss told them to go after this guy, don't you think that he would give them as much information as he could?" Jessie shrugged, and removed her sunglasses so she could look directly into Misty's eyes.

"Yeah… but that info's bound to be outdated. I mean, James and I snuck a peek at a few of the files once, and we read that the old guy was living in a town near Viridian, but that was like ten years ago. He's probably off somewhere else by now."

"But the continent James told us about--"

"Only a boat could get there, or else a strong flying Pokemon," yawned Jessie. She rolled over on her stomach, exposing her back to the sky before continuing. "And unless you have one, we're going to have to find a city with a port. I think the nearest one's twelve miles away, a good three-hour walk, and by the time we get there, we may have to wait another day for a boat. So either way, we shouldn't hurry."

"But…!" Misty stopped before she could say another word, sighed wearily, and sat down on a stump. Jessie smiled, took in a relaxing breath, and groaned it out in contentment. There really was no use hurrying, and besides, their ruthless rivals were in just as much darkness as they were.

----------

"When does the next boat leave, sir?" asked Morrison. He was towering over the ticket master, standing out from the crowd of shorter people and making his presence known. It had not been long ago since he and Marion had arrived in the large port town, and since they found reliable directions to the continent that Jessie and James had mentioned the other day, they would have to find a boat. The ticket master, who wasn't exactly used to talking to people who were over two meters tall, swallowed and checked the schedule.

"Says here that the boat leaves tomorrow, at 9 in the morning. I'll open up three hours before that time, so if you want to buy tickets, you may have to come early."

"That won't be necessary, sir," said Morrison in his deep bass voice. He pulled out his Team Rocket badge, his access to just about anything in the world, and showed it to the ticket master. "I believe this will do for a payment."

"Oh, yes, uh, it will," managed the master as he saw the badge. He knew better than to argue against a Rocket, especially one who was two feet taller than he was. "Yes, that will do nicely! Uh, how many do you need?"

"Two, please." The manager smiled and wrote their names down on his reserve list.

"Yes, two tickets for Mr. Morrison Glidden and Ms. Marion Burke! I've got it down! I guess I'll see you both tomorrow morning, bright and early!"

"I guess you will," agreed Morrison. "Well, take care, sir. It was good doing business with you, sir." Morrison grinned, showing off his steel teeth, and left the ticket booth as quietly as he came there. He lumbered off towards an outdoor café, and resigned himself to waiting until the next day. Giovanni had hired him and his partner to find the Legendary Pokemon Master, but he never forbade recreating in their spare time.

"It looks like we have half a day to waste, ma'am," he said as he sat down at a table and ordered coffee. Marion sighed and blew her long yellowy hair out of her face.

"Why do you do that, Moe?"

"Do what?"

"Act so polite. Why do you do it? You treat everybody with good manners, yet you're one of the world's deadliest killers. I don't understand." Morrison was silent for awhile, as he brought his cup of coffee from the table to his mouth and drank.

"Just because I have barbaric methods of slaughter, does not give me the right to act that way elsewhere. My business and my recreation are two different places, and so I must act accordingly. I've merely been brought up that way. You?"

"I'd rather not talk about my past," she said lazily. "Just because I'm working with you, that doesn't mean that we have to get chummy. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she said with a dark smile. "Anyway, at least I got paired up with somebody who knows what they're doing."

"Same here," he said as he drank. "But on a completely different topic, you know that our foolish predecessors are going to come here soon."

"Yeah, I know," she said with an evil grin. "In fact, I look forward to it. You might have something against fighting in a town full of people, but I really could care less."

"Work is work," said Morrison with a shrug. "I'm just as prepared as you are."

"Then let them come," she purred with a smile of villainy. "I could use a nice battle, anyway."

---------------

Eventually, Jessie and James found themselves rested up enough to resume their twelve-mile hike to the nearest port city. Both former Rockets were surprisingly chipper, smiling and linking elbows together as they led Ash and his friends towards the town. However, their younger companions were nowhere near as jovial, and in fact, they suspected their former enemies even _more_ now that they were so upbeat. Personally, Brock couldn't understand why they were acting like that, and swore that they were both up to no good. Misty, however, kept her head, and reminded him that by the time they all arrived at the town, Jessie and James would be tired once again.

It was hard trusting the two of them, since they had done nothing but ruin the day for Ash, Misty, and Brock while they were still with Team Rocket. Jessie and James were pests and annoyances, but hardly a true threat unless conditions saw otherwise. They were mostly in the way of progress, popping up at the worst times and singing out their tired old motto, and then they would go try and capture Pikachu or whatever Pokemon happened to be nearby. They had been enemies and irritations now for years, it seemed, and to trust them on a whim was difficult.

Jessie and James, however, put their complete trust in Ash and his friends. They didn't exactly love them all, but if it came down to choosing between staying with them and venturing out on their own, then they would've chosen those three. It wasn't as if they had any other choices, either: it was either trust the trio or go solo, and Jessie and James weren't used to working on their own. Besides, half their jollity was there because Meowth was _not_.

Three agonizing hours later--agonizing because Jessie and James never tired out like Misty predicted--the group finally came to the town with a port. The former Rockets smiled proudly and smelled the distant sea air, and Pikachu perched on top of Ash's head so he could get a good view. The ocean could be seen as a large strip of sparkling blue, with a chain of bluish-gray mountains off to the side. The town was spread out before them like a dinner table, and in the light of the late afternoon sun, it was as beautiful as the body of water.

"Ah, finally!" exclaimed Ash. "I didn't think we'd _ever_ make it here!"

"Come come now, boy!" smiled a proud James. "Was there ever a doubt in your mind?"

"YES!! Ugh… I'm tired…"

"Tired? But we just had a nice long rest! And besides, we only walked for three hours!"

"Be quiet," moaned Ash, who was not quite used to other people giving him his own advice. "Ughn, I'm exhausted…" James sighed, and gave his partner an exasperated look; she returned it wearily.

"Ahh… what can you do?" he asked. She agreed.

"Mm-hm. Listen, kids, the boat leaves tomorrow, so we can have all the rest we need. James, why don't you find us a good hotel, and I'm going to buy us some food so we don't all starve."

"Capital idea, Jessica!" he smiled. The halfway-crazy young man pointed himself in the direction of the nearest hotel, and because Brock _still_ didn't trust him, he followed suit. Meanwhile, Misty kept her eye on Jessie as she went to buy food, and with both ex-Rockets accounted for, Ash sighed out with ultimate weariness. He sagged to the ground, moaning out of pure exhaustion, and nearly crumbled to pieces on the pavement.

"Ugh… what a day…" Pikachu agreed, and through some extraordinary miracle, Ash was able to stand up and find a seat. He was at least thankful that it was a peaceful day, because he was in no shape to fight off any wild Pokemon or any bizarre new agents from Team Rocket. Little did he know, of course, that two of the organization's most lethal members were but a few tables away…


	4. Many Paths are Taken

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Act IV

"Many Paths are Taken"

Fate and coincidence have a way of making even the most delicate situations turn out rather well. Chance meetings, unusual findings, and brushes with destiny and danger can (or cannot) happen at any moment's notice, and how a person reacts results in things as trivial as their mood for the remainder of the day, to the crucial outcome of the rest of their lives. A good example was one cool Thursday evening, when three close friends, paired up with two new allies, were in extremely close proximity to the very people that were pursuing them.

Ash, Brock, James, Jessie, and Misty had already made it as far as the port town that could carry them towards the continent where the Legendary Pokemon master was, and they had done so without _too_ much interference. They had a few bumps and scrapes along the way, but they were otherwise fine and ready to continue their journey. For the moment, Misty and Jessie were off buying food and Brock and James were off reserving a hotel until the boat sailed in the following morning, leaving Ash to recreate as he saw fit.

But unbeknownst to the small group of "friends" (nobody trusted Jessie or James just yet), there were two other people in the small port town that were after the Legendary Pokemon Master. They were Marion and Morrison, Team Rocket's newest and deadliest employees. They were both master assassins who sold their skills to the highest bidder, and their initiation into Team Rocket was the mission to find the Master of Pokemon. They, too, were in the port town, and had chance and fate seen any differently, a brutal confrontation would have been in store.

But thankfully, as mentioned before, fate and coincidence have a way of making even the most delicate situations turn out rather well, and in this case, neither Marion nor Morrison, nor any of the five traveling companions, ever met up with their competitors. It was something strange to consider, especially since the town was so small and a few of them were unusually conspicuous, but miracles still happened in that day, and it was a miracle that spared Ash and his friends from meeting their most dreaded adversaries yet.

However, miracles do not last forever. Although the team of five escaped one dreadful encounter, there was still another to face as they moved into their hotel room. James and Brock were not the most reliable people when it came to finding good rooms, so the group had to improvise most of the way. The room was small and not completely clean, and it didn't exactly have five or even three beds to it. James tried to smile with pride as he presented to his comrades the "best room that this hotel had to offer", but they were anything but enthusiastic.

"James, you're a nincompoop," moaned Jessie, noticing the two beds. "_How_ did you manage to find a room that _ONLY_ had two beds?"

"Well, um, uh, it was, uh, the, uh, best I could, uh, afford…" he muttered sheepishly. Poor James hung his head and tried so hard to look innocent, but as usual, it failed utterly. He could at least be thankful that Meowth was no longer around to insult them or crack bad jokes--that would have been disastrous. At least they had been spared _that_.

"The best you could afford!" parroted Jessie in a snappish, bitter voice. She snorted, crossed her arms, and gave the room another look. The situation was bad, but it could have been worse. "Well, whatever. I hate to say it, but unless there's somebody who wants to sleep on the floor, we'll have to share beds."

Needless to say, Ash and his friends didn't exactly squeal over the prospect.

"Oh, great," moaned Ash. "How are we gonna decide who sleeps and who doesn't?"

"Well Misty should get a bed!" declared a quasi-chivalrous Brock. "After all, it's ladies first!"

"Then that means that _I_ get one too!" beamed Jessie proudly. Brock grumbled, but it was a bit too late to go back on his word.

"Mph, fine. Us guys can draw straws to see who we bunk with."

"Oh, that's not going to be necessary!" sang James as he buddied up with Jessie. "Jess and I are used to sharing close quarters! How else do you think we sleep when we chasing after you all!"

"UGH!!" All three friends recoiled in disgust, their eyes bugging out as they heard just a bit too much information. Now forever cursed with thoughts of the ex-Rockets sharing a bed together, the three friends looked at each other and began to think of how they could arrange themselves best on what was left of the second bed. The only thing they could hope for was that it was a large mattress, and a short night.

Meanwhile, of course, Marion and Morrison waited patiently for the boat to arrive…

--------------------

Many paths were taken in the morning, but all of them led to the boat that would be sailing towards the island where the Legendary Pokemon Master supposedly lived. That information had been blurted out by James the other day, in an attempt to gain Ash's trust. Of course, the young boy still suspected his former enemies of some nasty and complex scheme (despite the fact that Team Rocket usually never did anything nasty _or_ complex), but he at least let them tag along with his friends as they made their journey through life.

Ash had dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master himself (and to an extent, so did Misty and Brock), and learning from a man whose mastery of the monsters was _legendary_ was a chance not easily passed by. The information had been just enough to allow Jessie and James to stick around, and so far, they hadn't done anything _too_ treacherous…

And so, this was the path that Ash, Brock, and Misty took--the path to knowledge, and information, and assistance on their much-longer journey. The path that Jessie and James took was a simpler, more basic one. They now had no more need of finding rare Pokemon or going off on strange expeditions or anything else that they had been accustomed to. Now, they were their own persons, free to live out their own lives, according to their own rules. Theirs was not a path of finding, but simply a path to see what laid in store for them. And, of course, they hoped to genuinely make friends out of their companions.

The five of them each bought a ticket and got on the boat an hour before it sailed away. The ride was calm and quiet, leaving everybody with plenty of time to reflect and spend in solitude. Ash, who had not gotten enough sleep thanks to Misty's constant kicking and Brock's ability to talk in his sleep, found a place to lie down and vowed never to get back up unless the boat arrived at their destination (naturally, Brock and Misty slept like rocks). Everyone else busied themselves in one way or another, usually in a book or a conversation.

Again, a miracle happened that day, as Marion and Morrison never caught sight of their competitors while on the boat. Having never slept, they had waited all night for the ticket booth to open, and were the first to receive them (being from Team Rocket, they never had to pay a single coin). They now had plenty of time to rest, although both assassins had little need of it. Their path was provided to them though a payment and a job, and minor things like sleep and thought usually never got in the way.

In a way, they set each other off perfectly: Marion was wild and uncontrollable in battle, like a tornado, and loved to rip anything apart with her clawed gauntlets. However, outside of a fight, the icy-cold blonde was enigmatic and mysterious, and disturbingly quiet and thoughtful. Morrison, on the other hand, was a tall and powerful man, though quite polite for a killer. He used brute strength and uncanny precision to plow through his opposition, but could also be dangerously barbaric at times.

None knew their past and none dared to know--and besides, the past was not important. The only thing they were concerned with was the mission--to find the Legendary Pokemon Master and to "escort" him back to Team Rocket Headquarters. The two killers rarely questioned a job that paid good money, and this was no exception. All they had to do was relax on the boat, and wait until everything came into place.

The stage was set, the players were ready, the path was before them, and more than one surprise was in store for them all. Everything was ready to begin.

----------

The boat ride over to the next continent was smooth and uneventful, and the five traveling companions got off without fuss. They packed up supplies in the new port town and made their way out as quickly as they could. Since the former Rockets claimed that the Legendary Master was still some distance away, they both volunteered to purchase a more practical means of transportation. Unfortunately, James had used up his last coins to rent the hotel room, and Jessie was almost out thanks to the brief shopping sprees they had to make in the two towns, and Ash and the others didn't have much in the ways of income either, so they had to earn their money the hard way.

Luckily, a small group of Poke-fanatics had gathered in the town, and were holding an annual tournament there. It was decided that the five cohorts would each participate in the event, since they were all moderately experienced at training their Pokemon. It seemed a good idea, since out of five of them, surely one would be able to win at least some money, if not all of it. Marion and Morrison thankfully didn't attend, but instead, they used the time to wisely gain a day's head start.

By that time, Ash and his friends had nearly forgotten about their lethal adversaries, and if any memories did persist, they were quelled during the tournament. Thirty-two other people were there as well, from young novices to some of the most advanced professionals in the business. One by one, they all fell, leaving only the toughest trainers left to brawl it out in the finale.

Jessie and James both advanced fairly well, and showed off several impressive moves with Arbok and Wheezing that none of the three younger people had ever seen before. They made it fairly far--that is, until they both were faced up against Brock and Misty. The younger man and the younger woman had both been doing rather well, and a sort of climax was reaching the air as they met their respective rivals. But for the first time since… well, ever, the fight was not for survival but for fun.

"I was wondering when we'd meet again!" exclaimed Brock. His opponent, Jessie, smiled that same haughty smile of hers and prepared to unleash Arbok.

"Hm, you've done well in getting this far, but I'm afraid one of us isn't going to be raking in any money!"

"I don't think it's gonna be you!" he shouted. Brock summoned a Graveler, which slammed right into the Arbok with immense power. Jessie didn't appear worried, and called a Farfetch'd that she had found not long ago. The duck-like psychic easily fought off the Graveler, but the weakened rock would not go down just yet. It smashed into the creature, slamming it into the ground with amazing force, but was blasted away by a whirlwind of razor-sharp leaves in the process. Both Brock and Jessie gaped in astonishment as a draw was called, and both were given a random Pokemon by the officials so that the tie could be broken.

Brock began to perspire as he received a Venusaur, but his worries ceased as Jessie was given a Seel. The plant Pokemon beat the water Pokemon easily, and Brock was declared the winner--but just barely. Meanwhile, Misty pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, and was unafraid to make her usual comment.

"…Well, if it had been the other way around, Jessie would have won."

"It's all in the random system," shrugged Ash. "They didn't know what they'd get! But you're right; it could have gone either way." Misty nodded her head and mentally prepared herself for the battle with James. Meanwhile, Jessie's pride was suffering big blows as she forced herself to congratulate Brock. Surprisingly, he did the same to her.

"We were pretty evenly-matched until that random intervention," he said as he shook her hand. "I have a feeling that we could have fought forever if we were given Pokemon of similar type! Maybe you Rockets aren't as clumsy as I thought!"

"…Hmph, whatever," she snorted. "Anyway, I guess it was a good match. But do me a favor, kid, and try to win that prize money for us. You got this far, and it'd be a shame to stop now." Brock agreed with her statement, and went to refresh his Pokemon in the nearest clinic while Misty and James fought it out.

----------

Marion snorted. She and Morrison had been on the road for hours, and they were still coming up dry. The Legendary Pokemon Master certainly lived on that continent, but they were the only ones that seemed to know it. As they went around the towns, asking people (or "forcing" people to tell them) and turning up stones, they could find few clues to lead them into the right direction. Marion snorted again, and cursed violently as her partner drove them both across the empty road.

"I don't understand," she grumbled darkly. "We've been searching high and low and we haven't been able to find a thing. I'm beginning to wonder if our clueless predecessors really knew what they were talking about. I don't think they did!"

"We have no other leads," noted Morrison as he drove. "This is the best we can do for now. I suppose, though, that we should've been tailing them, instead of going out on our own…"

"Hold it, stop the car!" she shouted suddenly. Morrison slammed his foot down on the brake, and gave his blonde partner a questioning gaze. "…What did you say?"

"I said that it might have been a good idea to follow them."

"…I see," she murmured. "Morrison, I feel like kicking myself, but we've been going about this the wrong way. We have to work smarter, not harder! Yes, you're right; we'll have to follow them around. Let _them_ lead _us_ to where we're supposed to be! Wait for the right moment, and strike! And just to stir up some suspicion, let's utilize that distrust they have for each other!"

"I think I know what you have in mind," he replied. "But I do not want to go back to that town just to follow them all over again. I'm certain they went on that ship; I just didn't see them there. Do you suppose they were in that last place we were in?" She nodded her head.

"I wouldn't doubt it. There aren't many roads that go out from there--heck, we've been following this one ever since we left, so they're bound to come past here. We can just wait, and take our time in memorizing the territory. I'll bet that the old man will want some info."

"We've got nothing to report," he shrugged. "No offense on his part, but I don't believe he will understand it if we tell him we have nothing, except a closer proximity. Yes, we had better wait here for now, and make sure we know where we're going. It isn't like we're on a time restraint here."

"No," she purred wickedly. "Besides, I'm the type of girl that can wait for as long as it takes…"

And this, they agreed, was what they did.

--------------------

James gave Misty a friendly smile as he congratulated her, and she desperately tried to do the same. Losing was not a brand new concept to the petite redhead, but losing to a former Rocket was. James had pulled out a Chansey and an Alakazam, seemingly from nowhere, and even Misty could not stand up to such creatures. She lost, albeit by a small margin, and accepted her defeat gracefully and with quiet dignity.

"THAT WAS FIXED! THAT WAS FIXED! YOU CHEATED, YOU FAT STINKING PIG! THOSE POKEBALLS WERE RIGGED! YOU OWE ME A REMATCH, YOU NO-GOOD SWINDLER! HEY, LET GO OF ME! PUT ME DOWN! HE CHEATED, I TELL YOU! THE MAN CHEATS! HE'S A DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDREL! FIXED POKEBALLS! FIXED POKEBALLS!!!"

Yes, quiet dignity and grace…

Anyway, Ash was kept busy during his matches, but he blew through them all with some ease and awaited his next opponent. He had faced both Brock and James before, and wondered which of the two he would confront first. While the former Rocket faced the skeptical young man, Jessie and Misty stood off to the sidelines and cheered for their respective friends (of course, Misty had been slightly "restrained").

"Go, Brock! Go, Brock! Beat that cheating Rocket!"

"You can do it, James!! You can do it! Give him one for me!"

"Brock! James is nothing but a lying dirty scoundrel! You can take him!"

"James, that Brock is a spineless wimp! Show him the pride of the Wyatt family!"

"James is a loser!"

"Brock is a weakling!!" Jessie and Misty glared at each other, and as James and Brock fought, the girls had a "fight" all their own. Ash could've sworn that he saw lightning bolts and fireballs dart back between the ladies' eyes, and hid his face from the shame of it all. If anybody asked, he didn't know any one of them.

"…Oh dear," noticed James as he saw the girls fighting. "This is a rather strange turn of events. Jessie, Misty, would you please stop arguing?! We can't even hear ourselves think out here!"

"Yeah!" agreed Brock. "You ladies can't fight in here! This is a Pokemon Battle Arena!" Both Misty and Jessie turned to their individual friends and stuck their tongues out spitefully, then returned to insulting each other. Brock and James looked at each other in confusion and awe, and shrugged simultaneously.

"Strange," they said at the same time.

"I'm glad us guys aren't like that!" exclaimed Brock. James agreed.

"For real. At least we're not squabbling like a bunch of babies. Here, Brock, let's see if you can't defend against this…!"

__

Two hours passed.

James and Jessie were quietly behind the wheel and dashboard of a small car they had bought using the prize money. In the back, the three younger friends kept silent vigil. Misty refused to say anything to anybody, and Jessie (fittingly enough) was equally adamant. It was funny how sometimes those girls could be alike, but then again, Brock and James were slightly similar as well. Their fight had ended in a tie as well, but instead of letting the chance of a random Pokemon control the outcome, they both forfeited and left the final two competitors to battle it out for themselves.

It did not need to be mentioned who won the whole thing. The small car was proof that the Tournament was won, and that was all that needed to be said. For the time being, silence really was golden, especially from the girls. Ash felt that Brock and James had finally buried their hatchets during that tournament back there, and secretly, Jessie and Misty did as well. He was at least glad that the ex-Rockets were being hospitable and generous, since they did have a small opportunity to run away with the money back then.

But no, Jessie and James wanted to prove their loyalty and worth, and had bought the car with the winning money. There was just enough left over to fit inside the pocket of the winner, but it was such a small amount that he too felt the need to keep silent. It didn't matter if anybody talked or not--James knew the way to the Legendary man's hideout, and Jessie was his reliable navigation, and for once, Meowth was not there to complicate things or annoy them.

And so, the team of five friends--and they truly were beginning to lean towards friendship now--the five friends coasted down the long country road that would eventually lead them to the house of the greatest Pokemon Master to ever live. A great adventure was just ready to be concluded, but the final act still had yet to be played. A small car in the distance behind them, with two people seated inside keeping watch over the other vehicle in front of them, was proof enough that one more confrontation would be in store before the adventure was over.


	5. Learning New Things Everyday

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Act V

"Learning New Things Everyday"

Ash and his friends started the final leg of their journey by standing in front of a very tall mountain, and then, by climbing it. They had already trekked through most of the continent on foot, after their rental car could take them no further, and it was at the base of this mountain where their travels eventually led them. It was a tall sucker, and brown as the earth below it, and it wasn't exactly an easy climb, either. There were plenty of footholds and passageways that wound up to the apex of the mountain, but most of the way up was a tough climb.

Still, since none of the five travelers had much of a choice, they began to scale the peak one by one. They started with running, and jogged in a steady pace up the path that had been worn out by eons of travelers before them. It wound around the lowest part of the base steadily, so much so that there was barely even a noticeable slope. Things turned vertical once the path came to a sudden stop and a series of footholds jutted out instead, and the group went up by hand.

Brock, Jessie, and James seemed to be fairly good climbers (it was no surprise on Brock's part, since he had a liking to earthy Pokemon), so they were the ones that first scaled the footholds. With gloves on to prevent blisters, they reached up one ledge at a time and pulled themselves up, grabbing with their arms and feet for a destination that seemed to grow higher and higher all the time. Misty and Ash used ropes to climb up, since they were not as skilled, and this upward battle lasted for quite awhile.

The footholds led to another area that had a definite path to it, but instead of barely rising up, it was more of a sharp inclination. The quintet had to crawl upward on their hands and knees, sometimes using grappling hooks to support themselves. They constantly disturbed dust and small pebbles, sending them tumbling down and even striking the people below. Ash cringed as a face-full of dust and dirt fell towards him, and asked the people climbing above to be more careful.

The mountain was tough at times and easy at others, and there could also be found several arbors with shade from time to time. Aside from those tiny groves that gave them rest, the mountain was bare and rocky, and quite imposing to most of the travelers. Jessie and James proved to be good companions during the journey up, and helped their younger associates scale the long tall reach. It was a warm day, so there was no snow to obscure their journey, but the day's heat began to oppress them in the stead of ice, which was almost just as bad.

"Let's hang in there for a bit longer!" encouraged Jessie during one of their periods of rest. "This mountain isn't going to go on forever! We've already climbed up a good distance!" The other four travelers took this time to look back down at where they had been, and indeed, quite a bit of space had already been put past them. The path ahead of them seemed shorter now, and less intimidating, though there was still a lot left over. Ash took a groaning sigh, and once he felt like he was rested enough, he started to climb up once again…

Below them, but approaching closer every second, were two very powerful and very crafty assassins…

Marion and Morrison climbed up the mountain like it was a path of stairs and not a mighty sentinel of rock. The female had her clawed gauntlets to easily scale the side, and used them to crawl up even the steepest of walls. Morrison had his abnormal physical strength, and he could grip hold of the mountain with just as much ease as his partner. Combined, the two shot up the mountain in almost half the time that their predecessors had, but they had the disadvantage of both time and space against them. It had taken them a bit longer to get to the mountain, but they were both greater than their incompetent forerunners in every way, and considered the delay insignificant.

The final leg of an intense race had begun, and the finish line was still up for grabs. On one hand, Ash had Misty and Brock to rely upon, and all three friends had to admit that Jessie and James were really starting to prove their worth. The two ex-Rockets were slowly but surely integrating themselves as friends, and this mountainside climb would probably seal their new relationship. They would need it, too, for it took a lot of trust and teamwork to scale such a height, and there was plenty left to challenge even the toughest among them.

But on the other hand, "the toughest among them" were in fact Marion and Morrison. Alone, they probably had might and skill equal to that of all five companions, but when they put their own abilities together, they were quite unstoppable. Marion was ferocious and merciless, Morrison was brutal and powerful, and they were easily the most threatening foes that Ash and his friends had ever faced. They had no fear, and worked solely for whoever had the biggest pockets, and loved fighting to great excess.

The mountain continued to dominate for some time, but a long and wide pathway made the climb easier. The five companions sprinted across the level plane as if they knew they were being pursued (which they did, but they never considered just how close their pursuers were), but found that the path only went on for so long. It ended up at a rope bridge, which seemed several times less reliable than Jessie and James had been when they first showed themselves to Ash after being fired. Tentatively, Misty tested the bridge first, and found it to be shaky but solid.

"It's okay!" she called out, but under her breath, she muttered, "I hope…" Carefully, Misty crept across the rope bridge, hoping that the planks below would be able to hold her and her companions. Her breath was in her lungs the entire time, and her heart was almost literally in her throat the whole time. Her pulse froze as a stray wind shook the bridge, and she let out a brief squeal as the world trembled. But she made it across, and breathed out the ultimate sigh of relief once the deed was done.

"Looks like I'm next!" stated Ash as he adjusted his hat. He stepped across the bridge bravely, but even his spirit faltered a little, and a bit of sickness welled up inside about midway across the rickety old thing. He dashed across at the last second, and gasped several breaths once he was on stable ground. Nervously, Jessie and James looked at each other, and wondered which of them would go first.

"I guess it's the gentleman's duty…" murmured Jessie.

"No, ladies first!" insisted James.

"I insist!"

"No, _I_ insist!"

"You first!"

"No, _you!_"

"Will you two just shut up!" yelled Brock impatiently. "Why don't you both go across at the same time?" Jessie and James gave their friend a wary look, then turned the look to each other, and steeled their nerves before making the journey. They squeezed their eyes shut and their hands went over each other's as they sprinted across, and if they had ever been people of prayer, it had been during that time across the bridge. Once the duo was across, Brock pursed his lips and prepared to cross himself. He _hated_ heights.

_Okay, Brock, just… walk over this bridge, and… you'll be fine!_ he told himself. He kept on reassuring himself that everything was going to be okay as he crept across the rope-and-wood bridge, but midway across, the wood slowly began to creak beneath him. Brock froze, and stared below him in horror. The whole earth became wobbly, and a great sickness erupted in his stomach as the dizzying height struck him senseless. He was petrified from fear, and did not move even to sprint across.

"Come on, Brock!" yelled Ash. "You can do it! Just keep your eyes shut and run across!"

"Easy for you to say! You're on the other side!" he shouted back. Misty glared at him and tried to encourage him in her own way.

"Brock, you coward! Face up to that fear of yours like a real man! No wonder you never have any girlfriends! Do you think they'd fall all over you if they knew you were afraid of heights?!"

"I…… I…" Brock stuttered, but it still wasn't enough to get him over. Misty turned red from anger, but then Jessie and James stepped in to help.

"Hey, loser!" called James. "You just stay right over there! I think we've taken you far enough! Now it's time to perform a classical Team Rocket Double-Cross, and stab all of you in the back! Hahahahahaaaaa!"

"That's right!" sang Jessie victoriously. "We've been tricking you all this time! Now we're going to do something REALLY nasty, like… throw you over the cliff!"

"WHAT!!" Brock screamed at the traitorous duo, and sped across the bridge to throttle them both. "You back-stabbing lowlifes! You're worse than the dirtiest scum I've ever seen! You ought to be locked up in an insane asylum and have the key thrown away! I have half a mind to--"

"Yes, well, we're all glad you finally made it over," sighed James wearily. "Now if you're through ranting, we have a Pokemon Master to find." He and his longtime friend nodded their heads, and Ash and Misty agreed with them and went off to leave Brock by himself. The poor guy froze in ultimate confusion, his mouth gaping open just slightly.

"What… just happened?"

"A little trick we used to get you over," explained Jessie. "It looks like it worked. Wow, for a minute there, I thought that you almost _trusted_ us. You sure sounded betrayed back then."

"…You mean… that was a…?"

"He sure catches on quickly," remarked James dryly. Misty couldn't agree more if she wanted to.

"Hurry up, Brock!" called out Ash. "Remember, we still have those people from Team Rocket chasing us! We wouldn't want you getting caught by them now, would we?"

"…Uh, no!" Brock scampered off after them, and as he pieced together what had just happened, he had to admit that Jessie and James certainly could be clever when they needed to.

Fifteen minutes later, Marion and Morrison crossed the same rope bride, without any fear or hesitation…

---------------

It took them about ninety minutes to get up the whole mountain, but when the group of five finally reached their destination, it had been worth all their efforts. Somewhere just below the peak of the mountain was an unusual construction that had been built into the mountain. It was a log cabin, quaint and homey, and it was here where the famed Legendary Pokemon Master resided, or so the rumors said. Jessie and James smiled proudly as they beheld the cabin, and dusted their hands off in satisfaction.

"Well, we made it!" exclaimed Jessie. "For awhile there, I didn't think that we would! I mean, we only had what we overheard from our boss to go on, but I guess that was enough. Well, friends, what do you think of the mean old Rockets now?"

"Oh, you two aren't with Team Rocket anymore!" exclaimed Misty with a cheerful smile. "I mean, you told us about a hundred times already! If you're still worried about us not trusting you, I think this little stunt proves that we can? Right, boys?"

"Yeah!" smiled Ash. "Now all we have to do is find the old Master! You think he's home?"

"A hermit usually doesn't stray far from their house," noted Brock as he caught up with everybody. "I'd say that the old man's still living there. I dunno about the rest of you, but _I'm_ going to take a look!" With that bit of enthusiasm propelling him, Brock led the march towards the house, and knocked on the door several times. It opened automatically for him, but instead of an ancient man standing on the other side, a Mr. Mime was there instead.

"Greet Ings, Friends!" it announced in its broken language. "What do can for I you day to?"

"…Huh?"

"Can I do what for you to day?"

"Oh! Uh, we're here to see the Legendary Pokemon Master!"

"Leg End MASTER of Pokey Man?"

"That's right!" said Brock. "Does he live here, Mr. Mime?"

"Code 'MASTER' lives in house here," replied the creature with a nod of its head. "Visit Ors to day?"

"Yes, we'd like to visit your master!" replied Ash. "Do you think that we could talk with him?" The Mr. Mime froze briefly as it calculated this question, and revolved its head around to look behind it.

"Please Wait…" It lumbered away and left the door open, but told the five standing there to "In Ter." They squeezed through the door, and found themselves in a small, cozy, warm little house. It smelled of aged wood, probably cedar, and a roaring fire off in the corner augmented this delicious scent several times over. There was little decoration, except for the cloth over the mantle and the simple rugs over the floor, but there was plenty of furniture around.

The old man was off in a corner, reclining in a rocking chair and moving it back and forth every so often. He was a gray old mare, with a twinkle of ageless wisdom in his eyes and scarcely a hair on his head. He was wrinkled, and wore light clothes, and seemed as timeless as the Pokemon themselves. There was a great shelf of books near where he was rocking, probably the remnants of his research, and three Pokeballs had been gently placed on the mantle above the fireplace. It was a very cozy place, and everybody liked it instantly.

"MASTER wants you be comfort able," said the Mr. Mime as it bounded across the room. "MASTER likes when young peep ill him visit. Sit, peep ill, and MASTER will visit. WOULD YOU LIKE SOMETHING TO EAT OR DRINK?"

"Yes, we're all rather starved," replied James. "Just give us whatever you have and we'll be fine."

"Stood under!" saluted the Mr. Mime, and it waddled away to prepare something. The five companions sat in the silence, and watched as several other Pokemon wandered around the tiny cabin, cleaning the place up and performing small tasks. The old man in the corner took a deep breath, smiled, and craned his head over so that he was looking at his visitors.

"Well now, who might you be?" he wheezed in a crusty voice. The five companions introduced themselves, and the elder man smiled warmly. "Well, isn't that nice? People call me the old Legendary Pokemon Master, but I don't know why. I think they should call me by my real name, and not some fancy old title!"

"And what might that be, sir?" asked Misty. He smiled and looked into her young eyes.

"My name is Travis J. Melchior, but you can call me Old Man Mel. It makes me feel a little less serious!" The five companions understood and greeted Old Man Mel. Just then, the Mr. Mime came back with a large tray of food in its hands, and presented them to the guests.

"Inn joy," it said. "This food made was now just. Very hot, warm, good for travel errs. THANK YOU, YOU'RE WELCOME!" It bowed its head after disposing of the food, and waddled off to perform some other task. Old Man Mel laughed merrily at the creature, and turned his chair around so he was looking at the younger ones.

"That was Mr. Mime!" he exclaimed. "He helps me around the house a lot. I'm very grateful for him, because I'm an old man now, and I can't do all the things that I used to do when I was your age. I have all sorts of crazy critters in my little collection, but I'm especially proud of three of them!"

"Three?" mimed James. "What do you mean? Could you explain?"

"No, I don't think I could," replied the man in soft defeat. "Couldn't remember how I ever got possession of them. I read those books you see over there sometimes," he said as he indicated the shelves behind him, "but all they say is that the three critters I have now--_Pokemon_, their name is--all they are is just very rare, hard to come by critters. They can't be found anywhere else, or so I guess."

"So the rumors were true!" exclaimed Jessie. "Old Man--erm, Mel, what can you tell us about Pokemon? You're the Legendary Master, the leading figurehead of the subject, so surely you must know something!" Mel paused and seriously thought about it--sometimes humming to himself--but after awhile, he came up with nothing.

"Mmm… nope, can't think of a thing. If you wanna know something, check out the books right behind me. They'll tell you all the things you need to know, but as for me, I can barely keep track of their names!"

"So you're saying that you can't remember _anything?!_" squealed James in surprise. Old man Mel shook his head and smiled.

"Hardly anything. Yep, I've forgotten most everything, except that those books have a lot of knowledge." The five companions froze in surprise, and did not recover for awhile as they reckoned this new development. A Legendary Pokemon Master was before them, perhaps the last surviving member of his breed, and he had forgotten everything that made him so famous, even the very reason he was called Legendary! It was a great twist of irony, and it did not benefit any of the five travelers at all.

"…Oh…" murmured Ash at last. "So… uh… could you at least tell us about those rare Pokemon?"

"Well I certainly could, young man!" smiled Mel. He bade one of his serving Pokemon to retrieve the three Pokeballs on the mantle above the fireplace, and cradled each of them like they were his children. He tossed one down on the floor, and commanded the creature within to come out. In a flash of light, a shining creature came into the world, blinding everyone in the whole room. Old man Mel smiled and shielded his eyes from the glare, and quickly put the Pokemon back inside.

"…Wow! What was that!?" exclaimed an awestruck Jessie. Mel smiled.

"That was Serraf, the one-and-only Angel-Type Pokemon in existence. Its mere presence blinds anybody without protective eyewear, so I had to put it back quickly. I don't know how strong it is, but I'm sure it could win a few matches if it had to!"

"No kidding!" exclaimed Ash. "The power reading I got from that Pokemon was off the chart!" Old Man Mel's eyes twinkled merrily, and he introduced another one of his Pokemon.

"If you like that, then you'll love this one!" he said. The second Pokemon came out with a vicious screech, brandishing a total of six large arms, four muscular legs, and two heads: one with two horns, the other with one. It looked vaguely familiar, and Ash could've sworn that he had seen it before, somewhere…

"This is the Pokemon known as Mewthree," said Mel. "From what I could tell after reading up on those books, Mewthree is the 'grandchild' of Mew, and the offspring of Mewtwo. It's quite possibly the most powerful Psychic-type Pokemon in the world, and it's even more intelligent than most humans!"

"Mew… _three?_" whispered Misty in amazement. "Is that… possible?"

"You're looking at one now, I reckon!" chuckled Mel. He quietly dismissed the freakishly powerful Pokemon, and prepared for the final one. "Now this one," he said proudly, "is supposed to be my crowning achievement. All our hard work went into making this one Pokemon: a critter that had the combined DNA of every other Pokemon in existence, from the earliest to the newest hybrid. Every single one! That means that it has all of their strengths, and theoretically, none of their weaknesses."

"This is unbelievable!!" shrieked Jessie and James at the same time. "Wow! The old boss would turn purple if he heard about this!"

"Of course, we'll never tell that stuffed shirt!" snorted James. Jessie nodded her head.

"Right. This nice old man deserves to live in peace and quiet--and besides, I think he's too senile to help old man Giovanni."

"What?" murmured Mel. "Gio-who? Who am I supposed to help? Eh? Am I really senile?"

"No, they're just joking!" chuckled Ash weakly. "So anyway, what's this Super-Pokemon you were talking about?" The old man paused in thought, and brought out his third and final creation. The five comrades expected to see something fierce, or powerful, or intimidating come out, but the only thing that squirmed forth was a puny little thing that looked something like a large tadpole. It wriggled around on the ground, leaping about like a fish out of water, and slowly climbed up on the old man's bare head. He laughed as it tickled him, and perched it on his finger.

"Codename OMNI," he said proudly. "This little guy doesn't look impressive, but he's got lots of guts! Heh, heh… Look, he has the strength of an Onyx in him and the speed of a… of a… Well, gosh! The speed of something really fast!" The old man set his little creation on the floor, and in an instant, it vanished--but just long enough to bring a large wooden chair with it. Mel laughed and clapped at the little thing, and it squealed delightfully at the praise.

Ash, Brock, James, Jessie, and Misty stood in amazement, but none of it was out of awe.

"That thing…"

"Is the…"

"Ultimate Pokemon?"

"You have got to be…"

"Off your rocker!"

"It's the real deal all right!" assured old man Mel. "Just take a peek at its power rating, and every other statistic it might have! You'll find that it easily breaks the charts." Ash shrugged but did so, and was utterly amazed at how high the ratings for the little creature went. Without a doubt, it was definitely the most powerful Pokemon he had ever seen.

"Amazing!" he whispered. "It really gives you the shivers, thinking that something this strong is in the world! I'd hate to think of what Team Rocket would do if they caught this one!"

"And it looks like you won't have long to find out!" Ash and his friends jerked around and screeched as they saw the deadly glower of Marion and the stony gaze of Morrison burn back at them. Somehow, this nasty team had made it all the way up the mountain, and were now posing the greatest threat at the worst possible time imaginable!

"Oh, no!" growled Ash angrily. "Not you two! Not now!"

"Oh, yes!!" sang Marion wickedly. "We're here and we're ready to dispose of trash like you! Step away if you know what's good for you!"

"We will inflict no _permanent_ injury if you cooperate with us," grumbled Morrison in a deadly voice. "All we want is the elderly gentleman and his research. None of you are involved anymore, unless you are foolish enough to stand in our way."

"You're the fools!" shouted Brock as he shielded the old man. "We outnumber you six to two, and you're forgetting that one of us is a Legendary Master of Pokemon, who has spent his whole life researching them!"

"That's right!" snapped Misty, who shielded the old man as well. "He has three powerful and rare Pokemon that can easily wipe you out! You expect us to just back away, what with the odds in our favor?"

"Actually, we do," grinned Morrison, showing off his steel teeth. "You see, I do not care what sort of arsenal you have in store, or who you have on your team. Marion and I are among the best in the business, and I'm proud to say that we've fought against much more challenging foes than you. It is barely even worth our time to bother with the likes of you."

"Well, that's just fine!" snarled Jessie as she stood in front of Mel. "We're used to fighting ourselves, James and I! You'd be surprised at how much of a fight we can put up!"

"This man is old and sweet and full of spirit, but he has lost all his memories!" declared Ash as he joined his friends. "There's no way that I'm allowing you to take him back to your headquarters! He wouldn't do you any good anyway, and we can always get rid of those books if we need to!"

"You wouldn't even have the nerve!" snarled Marion ferociously. James joined his four comrades, and together, they all protected the Legendary Pokemon Master from the deadliest members of Team Rocket.

"You can tell that old coot Giovanni that you just wasted your time getting here!" he exclaimed. "Old Man Mel truly has no memory, and his Pokemon have the ability to wipe you out! HA! What a bunch of fools!"

"I _tire_ of this conversation!" roared Morrison as he slammed his fist into his palm. "I don't care what you say! We're going to take this old gentleman and all his research, but whether or not we keep you alive will depend on how much of a fight you put up! Last warning!"

"Go ahead!" shouted Ash boldly. "Make my day!"

"Famous last words, kid," hissed Marion evilly. The seven of them prepared to fight, when all of a sudden, old man Mel said the one thing that nobody expected.

"…I have no idea what's going on…" Marion and Morrison stared at him as if they were truly beginning to believe his senility, and turned their looks towards each other as they concocted another scheme. They smiled, nodded their heads, and smiled placidly.

"Listen," she said in a cool voice, "I'd never want to fight a former member of Team Rocket. What say we all call this a truce?"

"A truce?" parroted James. Morrison nodded his head.

"Yes. You know, before we got to this mountain, our boss told us that if you two were willing to cooperate with us, and bring the old gentleman in to him, you'd be forgiven of your past failures and would even be reinstated in the Team, _with_ an increase in pay. How does that sound?"

"He… did?" they croaked. Jessie and James froze as they heard this "information", and a secret part of their selves yearned to return to Team Rocket, back to the place where they had purpose, and meaning, and prestige, and respect, and fear…

"What should we do, James?" asked Jessie desperately. He looked right into her eyes and saw the same confusion, and then turned his attention towards Ash, Brock, and Misty. They were all wondering the same thing--if Jessie and James truly would pull a Team Rocket Double-Cross--and looks of betrayal and mistrust were already on their faces. James didn't even need to consider his options once he saw their faces; he knew what he wanted to do.

"I'm sure it all sounds like a generous offer," he smiled faintly. "But you can tell the old geezer that Jessie and I are declining his offer. You see, we've had a purpose and a meaning to our life once we joined Ash and the others--but unlike Team Rocket, we've also had friends, real _friends_, people that have learned to slowly trust us over time. They're very valuable comrades, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here!"

"…James…" Jessie smiled dreamily, and the two former Rockets gazed at each other with love and honor and an unshakable pride. Ash, Misty, and even Brock had to smile as their former enemies refused the tempting offer, and their bond was solidified all the more on that day. With her partner's encouraging words, Jessie turned her dreadful gaze upon her enemies, and declared her own feelings.

"You must take us for the biggest fools in the world!" she shouted, pointing a mighty finger at them for good measure. "Do you really think we would fall for that? You're just trying to get us to betray our kind friends here! I'm sure that once we stabbed their backs, you were going to dispose of us anyway, right?" Marion and Morrison snarled, then chuckled darkly.

"It seems as if you're not _quite_ as stupid as we thought you were," he remarked. "Well, all right. You've sealed your fate! Resign yourselves to a fate of misery and horror!"

"Bring it on, big guy!" cackled James wildly. He and his partner, and their "new" friends, each stood in wait for the two Rockets to attack, and a pair of deadly Pokemon emerged from their cloaks. An Onyx and a Charizard screamed a battle-cry, and the five Pokemon trainers each brought out their own faithful creature. Jessie's Arbok and Brock's Charmander concentrated their attacks on the large snakelike rock, and Pikachu, Wheezing, and Squirtle fought against Marion's fiery dragon.

"Arbok! Earthquake!" The large snake shattered the ground, creating a shockwave that tumbled the Onyx around, debilitating it briefly but not terribly much. Charmander blew a flame into its face, but the large creature was mostly immune to both attacks. Meanwhile, Squirtle was fighting off the Charizard pretty well on its own, with Pikachu blasting at it to increase the shock once the water had doused the lizard's flame. Wheezing clouded the entire are with smog, polluting and poisoning the dragon-like creature, and even sent Onyx coughing.

"This is no good," muttered Marion darkly. "I'd say that these people know what they're doing. We've been underestimating them."

"Then it's time to fight them ourselves!" stated Morrison. The two Rockets called their Pokemon back, and stood by themselves against the greater numbers. Ash, Brock, Jessie, James, and Misty stood waiting for the Rockets to attack, and kept their Pokemon prepared for anything. Morrison charged first, lumbering off after them like a wild bull. He slammed his body into the Wheezing and Arbok first, knocking them both with a powerful blow and sending them careening across the entire cabin, until they smashed into the wall.

"Arbok!!!"

"Wheezing! NO!!!" Jessie and James screamed after their Pokemon, but they had already fainted when they got there. Sadly, the former Rockets called their beloved creatures back, and swore revenge against the evil duo. But before they could return to the field of battle, Marion had joined her companion, and was slashing away at Pikachu, Charizard, and Squirtle, all at once.

With her mighty claws, the woman ripped the other Pokemon apart like they were made out of paper, and sent them crashing to the ground in torn shreds. Ash and his friends ran towards their heavily-injured friends, and wailed out to them as they barely wiggled to life.

"Pikachu!" The little yellow mouse groaned, and Ash shuddered as its life nearly left it. He called his friend back inside, and with a heavy but determined heart, he glared back at the woman that had caused them such pain. She merely laughed at him, her white cloak shivering as her shoulders were thrown back in a wicked cackle.

"Ah, what's the matter, boy?" she sang. "Did you expect us to be on the same incompetent level as your little friends here?"

"Jessie and James are not incompetent!" he shouted. "And I don't care how strong you are! We're going to beat you, even if it takes all our Pokemon to do it!"

"Oh, that won't be necessary!" laughed Old Man Mel suddenly. The five friends turned and stared at him, and he happily produced his OMNI. "Here, let OMNI show you what it's made of! I'll bet that this little critter can defeat these intruders! Hmph, but they really should have left an old man in peace…" Somewhat ignorant of its master's ramblings, the tiny little OMNI bounced towards Marion and Morrison, who couldn't help but snort at the insignificant thing.

"_This_ is the Ultimate Pokemon??" grumbled Morrison. "Ha! Looks more like a little worm! Here, I'll crush it!" He raised his foot and stamped on the creature, but with a wave of its miniature hands, it easily threw the much-larger man off balance. He tumbled onto the floor, more shocked than injured, and laid there with a startled look on his face. Marion snarled, and began slashing at the creature with her claws. But even this attack was avoided, as the little OMNI was hard to hit and amazingly quick. It avoided the woman's insane attacks easily, and tackled her with a stunning blow to the forehead.

"WOW!" shouted the five friends as their enemies were defeated.

"That's a really powerful Pokemon!"

"Yes, I'm rather proud of it," smiled old man Mel. The OMNI easily dragged Marion and Morrison outside of the house, and threw them down the mountain, where they slipped and slid and stumbled down the long peak, until they came to a bruised and bloodied stop halfway down. They did not recover from their ordeal for a terribly long time, but when they did wake up, they were so injured that they could barely move. The long tumble down the mountain had seriously busted even their bodies up, and with a groan from each of them, they managed to stand up.

"Ugh, how humiliating!" snorted Marion as she dusted herself off. "Defeated by something even smaller than a worm! How degrading!"

"The elderly man must truly know his stuff," grunted Morrison. "That was no ordinary Pokemon. I think it might actually be safer for us to return to the boss empty-handed."

"You really think that's a good idea?" He shrugged.

"There's little else we can do. I'm beginning to believe them when they said that he was going senile. If he can't remember his studies, then he's useless to us. Those Pokemon are far too powerful for us to steal, and I'm even beginning to wonder if his records were of any good." Marion sighed, and rested on a large rock that she had miraculously avoided on the fall down. She produced her cell phone, and prepared to dial up Giovanni's number.

"So what do we tell him? That this mission was botched, or we failed?"

"Just tell him the truth," replied Morrison. "If Giovanni wants the Pokemon Master that badly, then he can get him himself." Marion nodded her head, and called Headquarters to file her report. She stated that the old man was senile, and had forgotten his research, and the entire mission's failure could not be posted on them. Giovanni was angry anyway, but he was wise enough to know that one loss, even from the best, did not mean utter defeat. Marion and Morrison would stay in Team Rocket's employment, perhaps indefinitely, and there would be other missions to go on, and other fights to have.

Indeed, there would most certainly be a "next time".

---------------

Smiling with satisfaction, the five friends bade Old Man Mel a fond farewell, and began the long descent down the mountain. They were all beaming, from one cause or another, and though their Pokemon were injured and their bodies were weary, they had never felt better in their lives. Ash, Brock, and Misty had finally found the greatest Pokemon expert ever, and though he no longer remembered his studies, it was still a wonderful experience just to meet him. They had documented three one-of-a-kind Pokemon, and had seen their capabilities against the fiercest of opponents.

Jessie and James smiled because they were truly beginning to feel like they had made a friendship with the younger ones. They had easily overcome the temptation to betray them, and stood by their friends even in the darkest hours. That act had probably solidified their bond, and from that moment on, they would be with Ash and his friends through every turn and every trouble that life had to offer them. Team Rocket could have its honor and its prestige--they valued the true relationship they had with Ash and Misty and Brock, and would not trade it in for all the praises in the world.

Of course, there would be times when their teamwork was tested, as Giovanni always had his eye out for the latest scheme, and Marion and Morrison were posing an eternal threat. They were serious enemies, unlike the loveable duo had once been, and would not stop until their goals were completed. But now that there were five traveling companions instead of just three, each one experienced and trusting of the other, odds seemed favorable.

With one adventure already behind them, the five friends continued to walk down the road, and wondered what new adventures would await them the next day. Only time would tell.

**__**

The End


End file.
